Gutierrez sentenced to 45 days in jail

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Anthony Gutierrez

He will continue to give information to investigators and possibly testify.

By Marc Kovac

COLUMBUS — Anthony Gutierrez will spend part of Christmas and New Year’s and about a dozen other weekends in a Columbus jail as punishment for crimes committed while working as a manager under then-Attorney General Marc Dann.

Gutierrez was sentenced to 45 days in the Franklin County jail, to be served over consecutive weekends starting Dec. 4. He also has to pay $6,876 in restitution for Bureau of Workers’ Compensation violations related to his home remodeling business and remain under court supervision for five years.

Gutierrez spoke briefly during Wednesday’s hearing before Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Laurel Beatty, apologizing to the court for his actions, the center of the scandal that led to Dann’s resignation.

“I’d like to apologize to my family, to my wife,” he said, the latter of whom was in court for the hearing.

Dann resigned more than year ago after a scandal that was prompted by allegations by two office employees of sexual harassment against Gutierrez.

An internal investigation substantiated the complaints and prompted the firing of Gutierrez and Leo Jennings, the forced resignation of a third and a legislated investigation by the state’s inspector general.

Dann admitted he had had an affair with an underling, but he has vehemently denied criminal wrongdoing.

He was fined by the Ohio Elections Commission for using campaign funds to install a security system and for family travel but avoided a criminal referral in the matter.

Gutierrez was indicted in May on 10 criminal counts that carried potential penalties of eight years in prison and $20,000 in fines. He pleaded guilty to six of those charges and, as part of agreement, agreed to cooperate in future cases.

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien and David Freel, executive director of the Ohio Ethics Commission, remained mum on whether they expected future charges against Dann or others involved in the attorney general’s office scandal.

“Mr. Gutierrez is obligated under his plea agreement to testify before the grand jury if asked ... and to give any statements to David Freel and the Ethics Commission and the Inspector General, if necessary,” he said.

“He will continue to give information and provide testimony if needed, whether that results in charges I don’t want to at this time pre-judge.”

Freel added, “He’s assisted us to this point in time and has provided statements to our investigators and to the prosecutor’s office.”

O’Brien and Freel said Gutierrez’s jail time was warranted, given the breach of public trust involved.